carlballou/iStockBY: EMILY SHAPIRO, IVAN PEREIRA AND JEFFREY COOK, ABC NEWS
(BOULDER, Colo.) — An “active shooter” has been reported at a King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, police said.
ALERT: Active Shooter at the King Soopers on Table Mesa. AVOID THE AREA. PIO is en-route.
— Boulder Police Dept. (@boulderpolice) March 22, 2021
A law enforcement source told ABC News that officers responded to a report of someone shot in the parking area, and when they arrived at the scene, a suspect opened fire on them.
The suspect allegedly used a long gun, according to sources.
There are reports of multiple victims with injuries, but no further details are currently available, according to a source.
Police have king Soopers surrounded- multiple shooters inside #bouldershooting #kingSoopers @9NEWS #breaking news #bouldercolorado stay out of the area! @cnnbrk @dailycamera #911 pic.twitter.com/4ib9BRboQv
— Brook Aitken Cinematographer (@Brookaitken) March 22, 2021
Several law enforcement agencies quickly arrived at the scene, including the state SWAT team.
Inside, shoppers and store employees scrambled to flee the scene or hide inside their stores.
Nearby eyewitnesses shared videos from outside the lot, which show officers ordering the suspect to come out of the store with his hands up and surrender.
Eyewitness Andrew Hummel told ABC affiliate KMGH he was at a store when he heard the gunshots and ran out of the shopping center with others.
“Everybody kind of sprinted toward the back of the store,” Hummel told the station.
Hummel said his roommate, who worked at the store where the shooting happened, went to a storage room and hid there with other customers, texting updates.
“Yeah, I think one of the biggest scary text[s] that he sent he just said, ‘I love you guys, like thank you for everything, in case, like, things go bad,'” Hummel said. “That was a really hard text … that’s something that I would never want to hear from any of my friends because I knew the seriousness of what was going on and I was horrified. It was truly horrifying.”
Sarah Moonshadow, another eyewitness, told the station she was in the supermarket with her son when she heard four shots.
“We were hiding down, kind of in the self checkout area. And I just knew like this is a problem, and I started counting in between shots and then I just grabbed Nicholas I said move now.”
Around 7:10 p.m. EST, the Boulder Police Department tweeted out an alert asking people about three miles from the shopping center “to shelter in place” while officers respond to a report of an “armed, dangerous individual.”
“PD is investigating to determine if this is related to King Soopers shooting,” they wrote.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis tweeted out a statement Monday afternoon reacting to the incident.
“Like my fellow Coloradans, I am closely watching unfolding events at King Soopers in Boulder,” he wrote. “My prayers are with our fellow Coloradans in this time of sadness and grief as we learn more about the extent of the tragedy.”
In another statement later Monday evening, Polis asked for residents to have patience as the investigation continues.
“Right now, the biggest priority is to let local law enforcement and the City of Boulder to do their work to ensure the safety of those involved,” he said.
Kroger, the parent company of King Soopers, released a statement expressing their condolences and sympathies to their associates and customers and thanking the “first responders who so bravely responded to this tragic situation.” The company said it is cooperating with investigators.
“The entire Kroger family offers our thoughts, prayers and support to our associates, customers and the first responders who bravely responded to this tragic situation,” the company said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Luke Barr contributed to this report.
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